XBMC on Android may soon be coming to a set-top box near you

Ars talks with the project devs, learns about the project's future plans.

Set-top boxes are everywhere these days. Companies like Apple, Roku, and Boxee all have their own devices for streaming video to your television with just an Internet connection. But what if you didn't need to purchase that little device to get all of your content? What if you could just repurpose an old Android device? The team at XBMC has been working furiously to make all of this possible, and their hard work could usher in a new wave of open source set-top boxes for all.

The rumor had surfaced earlier this summer that the already open source XBMC application would eventually make its way to Android, and it has finally come true. XBMC has been long available for a variety of platforms, including OS X, the Apple TV, and even Windows, but this is the first time the team has managed to launch an Android-compatible version. Currently, XBMC supports most common video and image files, as well as playlists, audio visualizations, slide shows, third-party plugins, and even weather reporting. What makes it so ubiquitous is its ability to work with plug-ins that tack on major features like television program guides and access to YouTube, Hulu, and Netflix, along with a plethora of other popular streaming services. On Android, it also enables the ability to playback H.264 and DC1 media files.

XBMC had started out as a media center application for the first-generation Xbox (hence the name, which used to stand for "Xbox Media Center"). As the popularity of set-top boxes grew, however, it started to take off due to its open source and cross-platform nature. Services like the Plex Media Center and Boxee all utilize XBMC, as do a variety of smart TVs and even hotel television systems. The Android port of XBMC started with Cory Fields, one of the primary developers, who had been assigned the task for Pivos, a company that produces XBMC set-top boxes. "The idea was to capitalize on that without having to install Linux... just to be able to ship a box and have XBMC be a loadable application," he told Ars. "We did that port and it turned out to be a general purpose thing that works everywhere."

The fact that it runs capably on Android is quite a feat, but the team at XBMC is most excited about how it can further evolve. Essentially, if it can run on any Android tablet or handset, then it can work everywhere that the operating system works. "There is no jailbreaking required and no hacking. It's a very much out-of-the-box experience, which is something we've never had," explained Fields.

So, what is the target audience XBMC on Android? Is it for Android tinkerers or the average consumer looking for a worthy app for media streaming? Nathan Betzen, a project and community manager on XBMC, noted that it's common to see someone watching a video on their 5-inch smartphone tablet, so "the two use cases appear to be any reasonably sized phone or tablet, plus all the many small form-factor ARM boxes." Fields added that there's the eventual goal of running XBMC on TVs, too. "It's easier to ask '[what] won't it run on?'" he joked.

However, getting XBMC onto those Android-capable devices is not without its hurdles. For instance, the app is still very sluggish on Android devices—even on LG's Optimus G, with its quad-core processor and Adreno 320 GPU. XBMC couldn't manage to get through the latest Die Hard trailer encoded in H.264 without some major stuttering. "Heavy stuttering is a separate hardware decoding issue," Fields elaborated. "XBMC can play video using the CPU with software or using purposely designed hardware decoders. Unfortunately, because of fragmentation, we have to work vendor by vendor to get hardware decoding working, so most handsets right now fall back on CPU software decoding, which results in stuttering."

In the meantime, the team will be working on the ability to bring features like Miracast mirroring to Android 4.2 devices, so users can stream content over the air to television sets that support the technology. The current beta also features built-in DVR features, though it currently just serves as a front end for vendors. The team plans on launching an actual version of the application in the Google Play Store as soon as they hit a final release. "My intention from the start was to get us up on the big screen because that's what we do well," said Fields. "We're not going to try to limit ourselves. If it turns out the manufacturers push Android out to the big screen, TVs, or set-top boxes, we'll go that way."

If you want to try out XBMC for yourself, you can side-load the APK file onto your Android phone by downloading it here. Just remember to go into the settings and enable your phone to load apps from unknown publishers, and keep in mind that the app might be a tad sluggish.

I have often thought of using a raspberry pi with raspbmc like you guys, but I'd only consider it if i could easily add a TV tuner with cable card so i can get all my HD channels plus guide. I would love to have something like that replace my cable box. It seems like we're getting closer and closer to where I want but just not quite there.

Another vote for XBMC on raspberry and linux. It's simple to get HDMI CEC working, too, which means the tv remote can control everything.

TV tuning is an interesting idea. I've got a DVB-T use box around somewhere but never thought to plug it in. Since the raspberry can decode MPEG2 in hardware it might work, although I've had issues with USB and webcams.

XBMC is the name of the project now, and no longer officially stands for anything. Their about page doesn't even state what it stands for. It is only if you get into their history that you can find the origin of XBox Media Center.

quantum meruit wrote:

the author should probably define XBMC in the first paragraph instead of waiting for the third paragraph.

While XIOS DS is/was the premiere Android device for XBMC, and Pivos funded part of the development, it is unknown if they are the underlying reason for the port.

I have a XIOS DS, wonderful tv device (wifi, usb, hdmi, microsd, remote) for $100. It also has a XBMC firmware directly on Linux without the Android gui on top, works really well. I've been streaming all my media over my home network using a SMB share.

I was interested in the pivos box but all the videos and reviews I've seen say to install XBMC straight instead of the android version. This would obviously give you a great XBMC box for a cheap price, but you're losing out on one of the best parts of the xios (the fact that it can run Linux apps). Is it fathomable that in the near future XBMC will run well enough on Android that I'd be able to buy a xios and not have to choose between giving up android or a smooth XBMC experience?

XBMC is the name of the project now, and no longer officially stands for anything. Their about page doesn't even state what it stands for. It is only if you get into their history that you can find the origin of XBox Media Center.

quantum meruit wrote:

the author should probably define XBMC in the first paragraph instead of waiting for the third paragraph.

You are ignoring the fact that XBMC was an acronym and so would have been helpful to add that bit of history in the introduction paragraph. That's how any decent writer starts an article like this.

You are ignoring the fact that XBMC was an acronym and so would have been helpful to add that bit of history in the introduction paragraph. That's how any decent writer starts an article like this.

WAS an acronym. Should every article about SEGA break down the fact that the company was originally called Service Games? Or what about that big International Business Machines company I keep hearing so much about, should we break that down in every article?

You are ignoring the fact that XBMC was an acronym and so would have been helpful to add that bit of history in the introduction paragraph. That's how any decent writer starts an article like this.

WAS an acronym. Should every article about SEGA break down the fact that the company was originally called Service Games? Or what about that big International Business Machines company I keep hearing so much about, should we break that down in every article?

It doesn't HURT to do so and, in fact, lends a certain level of ethos to the rhetorical value of an article. Granted it's a matter of semantics, this seems like an odd thing to nitpick since it's not incorrect.

I actually came here to say exactly this. Seems like a bit of an oops.

Not an oops. Ouya did crop up in my conversation with Cory and Nathan, but the focus was more about the fusion of XBMC and Android and the hopes the developers have for the project. I wanted to keep the story about them.

Been running XMBC on my Transformer Prime out to my TV via mini HDMI for the better part of a year now. It's "beta," but it's worked great for the duration I've been running it. I feel doubly geeky for using my Android phone as a remote control for my Android tablet...

eh, I'll just stick to my Win7 HTPC with an HDMI cord running to my 50' LCD using VLC media player to play any format of my choice, and using my tablet for VLC media extender so I can change the content on the fly without having to constantly get up to play a new song/movie.

I was interested in the pivos box but all the videos and reviews I've seen say to install XBMC straight instead of the android version. This would obviously give you a great XBMC box for a cheap price, but you're losing out on one of the best parts of the xios (the fact that it can run Linux apps). Is it fathomable that in the near future XBMC will run well enough on Android that I'd be able to buy a xios and not have to choose between giving up android or a smooth XBMC experience?

XBMC already runs on the XIOS DS smoothly so that you can run XBMC on Android on the box, however (obviously) running XBMC on the bare metal (so to speak) is just smoother.

Other than as a project for tinkerers, what's the purpose of this? I have a laptop that I watch anything I want to watch already. I can watch movies on my iPhone or iPad, too. I'm unclear why anybody would want to do this other than to show it can be done and play tech hobbyist.

Other than as a project for tinkerers, what's the purpose of this? I have a laptop that I watch anything I want to watch already. I can watch movies on my iPhone or iPad, too. I'm unclear why anybody would want to do this other than to show it can be done and play tech hobbyist.

Some of us like watching things on our TV and not our laptop or iPad. Having two Rokus (on different TVs), I can tell you the value of having a dedicated device, and obviously one like this you would have much more control over if you have digitzed part of your video library.

And of course, this is the kind of site where some of us care about doing things because we are tech hobbyists.

Other than as a project for tinkerers, what's the purpose of this? I have a laptop that I watch anything I want to watch already. I can watch movies on my iPhone or iPad, too. I'm unclear why anybody would want to do this other than to show it can be done and play tech hobbyist.

You read the entire article, right? The whole point is that the tablet/phone is barely the starting point of Android. You may as well ask why people bother with DVRs. We have DVD players!

You are ignoring the fact that XBMC was an acronym and so would have been helpful to add that bit of history in the introduction paragraph. That's how any decent writer starts an article like this.

WAS an acronym. Should every article about SEGA break down the fact that the company was originally called Service Games? Or what about that big International Business Machines company I keep hearing so much about, should we break that down in every article?

It doesn't HURT to do so and, in fact, lends a certain level of ethos to the rhetorical value of an article. Granted it's a matter of semantics, this seems like an odd thing to nitpick since it's not incorrect.

This is one of those rare situations where it might hurt to do so. XBMC does not run on the Xbox 360. It never will run on the Xbox 360. So when people hear that XBMC was once, in the past, called Xbox Media Center, their first question is to angrily ask why XBMC doesn't run on the Xbox 360. It's the single most annoying question in this space.

eh, I'll just stick to my Win7 HTPC with an HDMI cord running to my 50' LCD using VLC media player to play any format of my choice, and using my tablet for VLC media extender so I can change the content on the fly without having to constantly get up to play a new song/movie.

That's a rather closed minded and silly thing to say isn't it? By all means have your preference. But you proceed from the assumptions that xbmc won't play all the same formats that vlc will, and that you have to get up for some reason.

Both benefit from the ffmpeg project among others and so you won't find any content you have that doesn't play perfectly. You will also find that as xbmc is designed from the ground up as a big screen/10" UI player you won't ever need to get up for anything. It has incredibly powerful play list, queuing and media management functions all accessible from an almost endless list of remote controls, keyboard, mouse, smartphone, tablet, PC,Mac,Linux, browser, automation APIs, upnp, etc, etc. Plus control from the OSD which also allows full access to advanced audio, video, subtitle, bookmarking, etc functions. And the media metadata scrapers are too die for, another thing you won't get with vlc.

Better yet you don't need a whole pc to run it. But as you have one, nothing to be lost in at least trying the Windows version is there? The entire installable file is only 30MB! and takes less than 30 sec to install. Just double click and you're done.

Other than as a project for tinkerers, what's the purpose of this? I have a laptop that I watch anything I want to watch already. I can watch movies on my iPhone or iPad, too. I'm unclear why anybody would want to do this other than to show it can be done and play tech hobbyist.

And not all of us are so far up their own iAss they need Apple devices everywhere, thanks.

This is awesome. I started using XBMC back in 2007, and I have never looked back. I love how I can play my content direct to my TV from a smooth interface. I currently use XBMC 11 Eden (XBMCbuntu variant) on a custom built PC that I put in a DVD player that I gutted, and I use a Logitech DiNovo mini as my remote control. In the past, I have put it on the Apple TV (1st gen), and ran it as a program in Windows. I have found the Linux version, once I have all the bugs worked out, works the best for my needs. I can't wait to try this out on an Android device.

For those wondering what devices it can run on, here is a link to their wiki that lists what hardware is supported: Android Hardware

Florence Ion / Florence was a former Reviews Editor at Ars, with a focus on Android, gadgets, and essential gear. She received a degree in journalism from San Francisco State University and lives in the Bay Area.